You Weren't Born This Way
by wildfire280
Summary: Because sometimes you just have to be true to yourself.
1. Something to Say

**Author's Note: **It just never seemed right to me that no one called Santana out for what she did to Sam in Born This Way. I think Mercedes would have been the one glee club member to do just that. I do not own any of the characters of Glee.

The glee club was in an uproar at Dave Karofsky's sudden appearance in their choir room, everyone protesting at once while Principal Figgins tried to get them to hear him out. Lauren shook her head firmly with a "No." Puck nodded his agreement.

Finally, Finn summed up what they were all yelling at Figgins. "We don't care what he wants to say!"

Figgins shushed him. "Now I know David has had some issues in the past but I have great respect for what he's doing right now…and I ask you to hear him out."

Hear him out? After all he had done to torment the glee club and make sure they were never accepted at McKinley? After what he had done to Kurt? Sam's mouth pursed and he crossed his arms against his chest. He had an idea that seemed more appropriate than just listening to Karofsky. "How 'bout we punch his face in?"

"Right," Mercedes quickly chimed in from her seat close beside him.

"Hey, that's enough, guys." Mr. Schuester didn't look happy about Karofsky's presence either but they were obligated to hear what he had to say. Besides, Figgins would have never accompanied him if the boy hadn't come to him earlier and asked him to. That was already a step in the right direction from pushing his club members around. "Now everyone listen up!"

Dave started speaking in a soft voice, one that made them listen because they had never heard it from him before. He mentioned how he may have slushied every one of them, and they all individually felt the freezing cold sting of cafeteria's slushies running down their faces again.

Sam still sat glowering at him. Did he really think an apology would be enough? As the new kid, Sam had been excited to audition for the club, to find another place he could belong other than on the football team, a place where he could play his guitar and sing with others that loved music as much as he did. Azimio and Karofsky had ruined that for him when they tossed that cherry slushie in his face. In hindsight though, he probably shouldn't have worn his bulls-eye shirt that day coming out of the locker room.

Sam glanced to his side quickly and locked eyes with Mercedes. She was sitting just as stiffly as he was, obviously remembering how much crap Karofsky had put her through. Dragging his gaze back to Karofsky even though he really wasn't listening to anything the boy was saying, Sam bit his lower lip. He knew she would agree with him on punching Karofsky's lights out but he hadn't expected her to speak out. Besides Santana, he did think Mercedes was the strongest girl in glee club with her powerful voice and ability to work well with anyone Mr. Schue put her with.

Actually, he had been surprised that she had sat next to him today. He'd sat down in the front row expecting Santana, as his girlfriend, to sit beside him. But she had just gone up to sit behind him with a bag strategically placed on the seat between her and Quinn. It was pathetic how easily Santana could hurt his feelings. Part of him wanted to ask her if she wanted him to join her up there but how clear did she have to be for him to see that she was just using him like she used everyone else? So he had sat alone in the front row until Mercedes, Tina, Mike, Brittany, and Artie walked in the choir room. Mercedes had stopped in front of the chair next to him, pointed to it, and then waited for his nod to sit. A girl who actually asked him he minded something. It was almost refreshing.

His attention was brought back into Karofsky's speech when he heard the bully say Santana's name. What did she have to do with any of this? As soon as he felt Santana rise behind him and start coming to the front, Sam's heart dropped. His eyes grew warm when Santana and Dave's fingers intertwined as she stood next to him and began feeding them some crap about bringing Kurt back for the club's sake.

Mercedes could feel the hurt rolling off of Sam in waves. It wasn't hard as close as she was sitting to the boy. It didn't even seem as though he was expecting Santana's quite public betrayal. That wasn't so surprising though. Sam Evans seemed like someone who always expected the best from people. That was probably why whenever people disappointed or hurt him he looked like a sad puppy for weeks.

Still, Santana was in rare form today. Did she even tell Sam that she was helping Karofsky? Did she even care if he knew? One thing was sure, Santana Lopez did not have the right motives. She cared less about Kurt being in glee club than Lauren did about her involvement in glee club. So what did she really want? Tina caught her eye and jerked her head a little to the side. Mercedes leaned forward slightly and raised an eyebrow. Brittany's face was nothing short of devastated. And you would have thought she'd be happy that her best friend was turning over a new leaf. The fact that the blonde girl's eyes were glued to Santana and Dave's hands told it all. Sam wasn't the only one Santana was betraying.

"This is some mess," Mercedes muttered under her breath.

There were still twenty minutes left in the period by the time Karofsky finished his speech and Santana had made everyone in the room taste a little vomit in their mouths with how fake she was being, but no one wanted to rehearse for Nationals. Mr. Schuester stood up and shook both Figgins and Karofsky's hands, whispering his hope that everything said was the truth. Everyone slowly made their way out of the room except Sam who was still sitting in his seat, staring at the floor. Mercedes watched Mike walk over to comfort his friend and left to find Santana Lopez. She had something to say.

Sam snapped out of his hurt daze as soon as Mike Chang sat down beside him, standing up so fast that his chair fell over. Mike touched his arm. "You okay, man?"

"Did that just happen? Did she really just do that?"

Karofsky glanced over his shoulder at the sound of Sam's voice, pausing in his conversation with Figgins and Mr. Schuester to take a step toward him. "Listen Evans, I'm sorry that…"

Sam held up a hand, already walking away. "I don't want to hear it, Karofsky." Once outside of the choir room, he ran a hand through his hair, trying to lessen the rage he was beginning to feel. Part of him just wanted to find Santana and scream at her, yell at her, ask her why he was never good enough, or at least why she had always taken it upon herself to make sure he never felt good enough. They'd only been dating for two weeks and every day there was a new insult about his lips, his hair, his impressions, his interests.

He turned his head at the sound of raised voices coming from the girl's bathroom down the hall. One of the voices was clearly Santana's. Resolving to wait outside the restroom until she came out, Sam started walking toward the argument. He stopped short when he recognized the other voice. Mercedes.

"…realize that you have a reputation to protect, Santana. I do. But you're not only hurting people around you anymore. You're hurting yourself. Whatever you think you're doing with Karofsky, trying to get back Kurt for the glee club, it won't make things work between you and Brittany."

"Don't try to act like you know anything that's going on between Brittany and me, Wheezy. That's none of your…"

"What I know is that you just hurt that girl with that mess you pulled back there and you hurt Sam. If you want Brittany, why did you even go out with him? Do you just live to hurt people now?"

There was a pause and the door swung open as another girl came out of the restroom. Sam watched her walk into another classroom and waited for the conversation to resume. When it did, Santana's voice was so soft he had to move to stand against the wall beside the door to hear.

"I know that you've got a bit of a record helping people come out of the rainbow closet, Wheezy. I heard Kurt tell Rachel once how great and understanding you were about him. Blah, blah, blah. I don't need your help. I don't need anybody's help except Karofsky's. Don't know why you're so upset. I'm turning over a new leaf. Kurt comes back to McKinley with the promise that he'll be safe and sound. You get your sassy gay friend back and aren't lonely anymore. I just know you're sick of being the odd man out in glee club. You really should be thanking me." Sam recognized the click of her lip gloss opening. There was another pause before he heard the clatter of something being knocked onto the floor.

Mercedes's voice was harder than he had ever heard it. "You've done nothing for me I want to thank you for. Go ahead and keep hurting people, Santana. You hurt Sam, you hurt Brittany, you put down everyone else just to keep yourself from looking small. Guess what? That makes you small. And it makes you unlovable. You just keep on being the bitch everyone thinks you are." She jerked the restroom door open but remained facing Santana. Sam inched further from the door. Her voice grew softer. "You know something? I can understand if you love Brittany because you were born that way. Because she's a wonderful girl who deserves to have someone love her who can look past all the dumb things she says like I know you do. And I can understand why she would love you back because sometimes I see how wonderful you can be. What I can't understand is why you'd want to be known as a bitch. Because I know for a fact that you weren't born this way, Santana." She turned toward the hallway. "And if you think you were, you need a lot more help than you think you do."

The restroom door swung closed behind her.

This is my first fanfic so please review!


	2. Worst That Could Happen

**Author's Note**: I corrected some errors and reposted this chapter. Thank you so much, KimuAkiyo, for bringing them to my attention!

Sam didn't get a chance to talk to Mercedes until before their glee rehearsal the next afternoon. It had been Kurt's idea to perform "Born This Way" and they had all had loved the idea. Mr. Schuester saw it as an appropriate welcome-back for their fashionable soprano. Sam sat on the edge of the stage, legs swinging back and forth, and watched with a grin as Mercedes and Kurt hugged each other for the fifth time since they'd both arrived in the auditorium. It was clear that she had missed him. He had never gotten the lonely vibe from Mercedes that Santana had taunted her about but he could imagine how she must have felt without her best friend by her side.

Mike crouched down beside him and gave him a nudge with his elbow. "Stop staring at Kurtcedes."

Sam chuckled. "Is that what you guys call them? Kurtcedes?"

"Was that a smile? A laugh? You're doing a lot better today than you were yesterday, Sam. What's got you looking on the bright side all of a sudden?"

Sam shrugged, his eyes still on the two best friends as they began going over their hand choreography for the beginning of the song with Tina. "I'm not used to girls having my back. Like having their support, y'know? She went to bat for me and Brittany yesterday…I just really appreciated it."

Mike nodded. "Not surprised. If Mercedes could have been in that locker room when we were getting Karofsky to back off of Kurt, she probably would have punched Karofsky's face in before you even tackled him. She's got all of our backs. It's what makes her…her." He gave Sam another nudge. "It's obvious you want to say thank you. I swear she doesn't bite."

He had never really talked to Mercedes, Sam realized as he stood and walked toward her. And she had never really talked to him. Her face showed her surprise at his approach. She glanced at Kurt and Tina before stepping forward. "Hey."

"Hi. Um, Mercedes…could I talk to you for a second? Maybe backstage?" Kurt turned to stare at him and Sam gave a quick nod. "It'll just be a second."

"…Sure." Mercedes led the way from the group. She stopped near a table behind the stage and leaned back on it. "What's up?"

Her hair looked different. He had just realized that. It had a crimped texture that made him want to touch it to see if it felt as soft as it looked. "You should wear your hair like that more often. It's pretty."

Her eyebrows furrowed and she blinked at him for a moment before saying, "…Okay? Thank you." Crossing her arms against her chest, she leaned forward. "Sam, what's this about? Is something wrong?"

He shook his head firmly. "No. No, nothing like that. Sorry. Listen…I heard what you said to Santana after everyone left glee club yesterday." At the look on her face, he quickly added, "I didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything like that. I just wanted to talk to her…I wanted to ask her how she could do what she did."

Mercedes tilted her head to the side; her face had lost her famous WTF expression and seemed more understanding now. He could see immediately what Quinn had meant when she'd told him that you could tell Mercedes anything. She was a diva, sure, but she was also a great friend.

When she didn't say anything, Sam continued. "Anyway, you basically stood up for Brittany and me and I want to thank you for doing that. I know we haven't talked at all but that was a really awesome thing you did."

"You're welcome. Santana can be wrong sometimes and yesterday was one of those times. I was just trying to be honest with her."

"I respect that about you."

"Do you?" He nodded, and she gave a little "Humph" under her breath. "Mind if I'm a little honest with you right now?" Sam nodded again, slower this time, not knowing what to expect. Mercedes reached out a hand and unzipped his hoodie a little bit. A little smile appeared at the corner of her full lips. "Trouty mouth. She really made you feel self-conscious about that, huh?"

"Ever had anyone make up a song about that one feature you most hate about yourself and draw everyone's attention to it? Yeah, that's kinda what she did."

Mercedes shrugged. "At least it was catchy. But let's be honest. The point of this should be exposing that thing that you hate about yourself and embracing it…not what Santana hates about you. In my opinion, your mouth isn't the feature you hate about yourself, Sam. There's something you hate being called more than Trouty Mouth or Lady Lips. Can you guess what it is?" He was just staring at her. She shrugged again. "Dork."

The sudden flash of hurt in his eyes told her she was right. Sam zipped up his hoodie again and shoved his hands into its pockets. "What? And your hair is what you hate most about yourself?"

"Do you think my shirt should say Fat?" He immediately regretted what he had said but decided not to answer. Mercedes ruffled her hair and flipped one side behind her shoulder. "I learned a long time ago to love my body. Other people see me as Fat. I don't. No Weave is symbolism. There's nothing wrong with weave but today it represents me trying to be something I'm not, I guess. Trying to have straight hair when my hair isn't. My stint with the Cheerios was me trying to be popular when that's just not me. Get it?"

He did. At least he thought he did. There was what seemed like a long moment of silence between them before he spoke again. "At this school, being popular gets you everything."

"Yeah, if everything to you equals lots of attention and lots of girls." Her eyes narrowed. "Is that everything to you, Sam?"

"It didn't used to be…" Her words came back to him then. You weren't born this way. When did he get so messed up? "Guess everyone knows I'm a dork deep down. Maybe that's why I could never be as popular as Finn no matter what I did."

"I think that was because you're not supposed to be Finn. Finn is Finn. He's the popular jock who messes up relationships and then gets confused when things never go his way. That's his thing and we love him for it. You're Sam. You read comic books, do tons of impressions well, and have an obsession with Avatar. Why don't you just be Sam? What's the worst that could happen?"

He grinned in spite of himself. "Another slushie to the face?"

She chuckled softly . "You have a point. But I promise, being yourself and feeling the freedom that comes with it makes every slushie to the face almost worth it." Mercedes straightened up from against the table and took a step toward him. "No, the worst that could happen, Sam, is that you just might find someone who appreciates you for all the reasons girls like Santana thought you weren't worth treating with respect."

Sam watched her walk back toward Kurt and Tina, standing still for a moment before following her out onto the stage.


	3. Excuses of a Diva

**Author's Note**: I have to admit. Even I was really confused about Mercedes's No Weave shirt. And I was disappointed that Kurt and Mercedes didn't hang out more even when he transferred back to McKinley. Thank you so much for your reviews so far!

Mercedes just couldn't explain how she came to be sitting in the Hummel home, on the Hummel's sofa, watching Avatar on their television with Sam Evans beside her. She snuck a glance to her right at the boy, smirking when she saw that he was still at the edge of his seat. They were already a half hour into the movie, and he hadn't moved from his current position since the character of Jake Sully first appeared on the screen. Yeah, Sam Evans had it bad for some Avatar.

She had come over to see Kurt but, as Finn had told her in the apologetic way he had adopted to tell her anything disappointing about his step-brother, he was out with Blaine. Like always. And before she could go home to focus on not being too bitter about her best friend gradually becoming her former best friend, Finn had invited her to stay and watch the game with Sam, Puck, and himself. Then Puck had come and quickly pointed out that the Hummel's had absolutely no game food. So they had left. And Sam had come. And now they were watching Avatar.

"You've seen this before, right?"

Mercedes blinked and turned to Sam. His eyes were still glued to the screen. "Avatar? Yeah, I saw it in theaters twice and then we bought the DVD."

That got his attention. "I saw it in theaters every weekend it was there. Wish I could watch it at home but…"

"But what?"

"Nothing." He ran a hand through his blonde hair and finally leaned back in his seat. "…We just don't have the movie anymore, that's all."

"Alright then." After seeing the way his eyes brightened up when he had seen the DVD case laying on top of the television, Mercedes couldn't see Sam parting with his personal copy of Avatar for anything. Something was clearly going on there.

Ten minutes later, Sam broke the silence that had fallen between them. "Y'know, I'm kind of glad Puck and Finn stepped out. I wanted to ask you about something."

Her eyebrows shot up. As much as she enjoyed gossip and giving advice, this was a bit unexpected. "What can I help you with?"

"Oh, it's not like that. No. I wanted to ask you about your shirt last week."

"Zebra stripes?"

"No Weave."

"Hmmm." Mercedes shrugged. "What about it?"

It took a supreme amount of effort to reach over to the remote and mute the sound of his favorite movie. Sam ran a thumb over the remote's buttons without pressing down on any of them. "I just don't get why you gave that excuse about it."

"That…that excuse?" Mercedes Jones actually looked speechless. It didn't last very long. "I told you a legitimate reason. It was…"

"Symbolism. Yeah. And I would've believed that too if I hadn't overheard Kurt asking you why you chose what you did for your shirt."

"Can I have a conversation that you're not creeping on?"

"I was two feet away from you on the stage. Besides, everyone heard him ask. What got me though was that you didn't answer him. Probably because Kurt could've seen right through your bull…"

"Hold up." Mercedes quickly turned so her entire body was facing Sam on the couch. "I don't have to explain anything to you, least of all what I put on a shirt for a performance that lasted all of five minutes."

He turned to face her as well. "I'm not saying you do have to explain it to me. I'm just trying to understand why you picked what you picked. In my opinion, Lonely would have been a bit more accurate."

"Oh hell no." She jumped off the sofa and reached for her keys laying on the armrest.

Well that hit a nerve. Sam stood after placing the remote back down on the sofa's cushions. "Wait…I didn't mean it like that. I just meant…"

"You don't know anything about what it is to be lonely," Mercedes whispered angrily while grabbing her purse. "You think one cherry slushie to the face makes you an outsider just like the rest of us, don't you? It doesn't. You're still fairly popular and you're still on the football team. People pay attention to you. Try being disregarded and ignored every day." Her eyes fell on one of Burt and Carol's candid wedding pictures on the living room wall. Finn and Kurt stood by their respective parent's side; Kurt had a hand raised to adjust Burt's tie for the umpteenth time. A sigh escaped from Mercedes before she could stop it and she glanced back to Sam. "Try being left behind."

"Mercedes…" He took a step forward just as the front door opened. Puck stepped through carrying two liters of soda under one arm and a bag of chips under the other.

Mercedes didn't even wait for the mohawked teen to get in the house fully before she pushed her way outside. He regained his balance by grabbing hold of the door handle. "...The hell is wrong with her?"

Finn came in with even more drinks. "Is Mercedes not staying for the game?"

Sam bit his lower lip, wincing at the sound of Mercedes's car engine starting up outside in the driveway. "No…she had to go."

"Oh. Okay. Too bad." Finn moved past him to put the groceries on the coffee table in front of the television.

Puck followed suit, moving to stand in front of Sam. "You do something to upset Mercedes, Evans?" Sam's look said it all. Puck's eyes narrowed. "Well…?"

"I guess I could've said what I did…better."

Puck continued to look at him for a second before putting down his load on the coffee table as well. "So say it better. Finn, Mercedes lives in Livingston Court, right?"

Finn called out from the kitchen, "Shouldn't you know that? You're the one who dated her!"

"Wait. What?"

Puck quieted Sam with a raised hand. "Never mind that, Evans. You'll miss the kick-off but, believe me, having a diva pissed at you is worse. I think the address is 1345 Livingston Court. Can you remember that? You know where that is?"

"I…" Puck raised an eyebrow silently and Sam backed up toward the door, slowly taking his keys out of his pocket. "I can figure it out."

"Good."

As he closed the door, he could hear Finn ask, "Where is everyone _going_?"


	4. A Friend's Worth

**Author's Note**: This chapter is short but I hope you all like it.

Sam rapped on the Jones's front door with his knuckles and then took a step back. Mercedes Jones liked Avatar. She lived in Livingston Court which apparently, he observed while looking around the expansive porch and at the neighboring houses, was where the rich people of Lima lived. She dated Noah Puckerman. Sam's nose wrinkled at that thought. Sure they were both self-confident and likable, but those were two glee club members that he would never have imagined together. How long had they lasted? Was that the kind of guy she wanted for herself? Was it Puck called himself…a sex shark?

He lifted his fist to knock again and finally noticed the doorbell, pressing it firmly. One thing was becoming clear to him. There was more to Mercedes Jones than being a diva. The door swung open, revealing Mercedes on the other side. She rolled her eyes and began to shut it again. Sam brought up a hand to catch it mid-swing, barely saving himself from having his hand crushed in the door. "Mercedes, please hear me out."

"How do you know where I live? No one has ever been here except Kurt…" She groaned. "Puck…I'll kill him."

Sam tilted his head to the side. "I didn't mean to say what I did…like I did. Give me the chance to apologize?"

Mercedes took a deep breath and stepped aside so he could come in. "Take off your shoes and leave them here at the door. We can talk at the table."

After sliding his feet out of his shoes, Sam followed past the kitchen and into a cream-colored room with a large table at its center. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of the chandelier hanging above their heads. Mercedes watched his face carefully, gesturing for him to take a seat. "My dad's a dentist. My mom's a lawyer. They've been pretty successful."

"I'd say."

She sat beside him at the table, facing straight forward. "You didn't come here to talk about my parents and how much they make."

Sam nodded slowly. "I didn't mean to call you out like that earlier. I was just…trying to be honest with you about what I thought. Like you were honest with me. You're the most honest person I've met here…"

Mercedes snorted softly. "What about Brittany?"

"Brittany Pierce?" Sam grinned. "I don't think she can help it." He became serious again, maneuvering his chair to face her. "I'm sorry that I hurt your feelings. What you said about me is right. I'm not really an outsider. I could probably wear my Avatar collector's edition shirt to school on Monday and speak nothing but Na'vi all day and get away with it. Even if people did say anything, it wouldn't matter. I am still popular and I'll still be on the team. I know people have my back." Sam pursed his lips anxiously. "Can I say something?" Her eyes narrowed into tiny slits but she nodded. He reached out and turned her chair so he could look into her eyes. "You don't have to be lonely or feel lonely, Mercedes. It's pretty easy to see how much everyone loves you. Rachel may think she's the leader but your opinions matter a lot in glee club. Everyone there has your back. And even though we've only really talked twice and this second time isn't going too smoothly…I want to have your back too. I've always known you were an incredible singer but this past week I've gotten to see how lucky people are who can call you their friend. If Kurt lets your friendship slip away, it really is his loss. But I don't think he will…you mean too much."

Mercedes was sitting very still; her only movements being the blinking of her eyelids. Finally, her lips parted and he saw why Quinn once said that Mercedes had the brightest and most beautiful smile of anyone she had ever met. She grasped his hand and squeezed it tightly. "Thank you, Sam."

Please review!


	5. The Natural Course of Action

"So…about you and Puck…"

Mercedes turned to Sam, eyebrows raised. She had been the one to suggest they finish watching Avatar and now he lay sprawled beside her on the floor of her family's den while she sat leaning back against the couch. "What about me and Puck?"

He raised his upper body by his elbows and shrugged. "I never would have seen the two of you as a couple, that's all. It makes as much sense as me and Santana. When did it happen? _How_ did it happen?"

She silently reminded herself to tell Noah Puckerman to keep his mouth shut in the future. "Toward the end of last year, Puck lost his mohawk and his mojo. I was a Cheerio and he saw me as an opportunity to be popular again. I just saw an opportunity to not be single anymore. It sounds like a stupid reason but I knew my heart couldn't get broken. And it didn't. I was glad when the relationship was over. We're better off as friends."

Sam frowned. "Still…I bet he's sorry he broke it off with you."

Mercedes let out a little snort. "Well, that would be twistin' things up a bit. _I_ dumped _him_."

"You…what?"

Her eyebrow shot up again and she smirked. "I really should be offended that you're so surprised. You think Puckasaurus is too great for any girl to turn down?"

That was possibly the only nickname worse than his and Puck had invented it himself. Sam shook his head. "No. Absolutely not. You deserve so much better. I mean…" His face flushed red. "Puck seems to be getting it together now that he has Zizes but you should be more than an opportunity to whoever's lucky enough to be with you."

There was a pause as Mercedes watched him settle back again. She finally brought her focus to the movie. "Same goes for you. One day a girl's going to treat you right, Sam."

Now it was his turn to snort. "I probably wouldn't know a girl like that even if I found her. I tend to go for girls that lie to me or blatantly use me if you haven't noticed."

She reached out a hand to ruffle his thick blonde hair. "Coming from the girl who fell for her gay best friend, as time goes on, you get better at knowing who you want."

And up he went again. "You're in love with Kurt?"

"No!" Mercedes laughed. "Last year, I thought he liked me. So I liked him. Then he said he liked someone else. I thought he meant Rachel so I threw a rock through his car window."

Sam's brows furrowed. "…The natural course of action, I suppose."

"Funny."

"Sorry. Continue."

"Oh, that was the end of that. We became even better friends though. Well…once he forgave me for that car window. After that, we were inseparable." Her face fell and she hugged her knees to her chest. "If you can imagine us being inseparable. We're anything _but_ that now."

Sam scooted to sit against the couch beside her. "You'll find your way back to each other, Mercedes. I wouldn't worry too much about Kurt. He knows who his friends are, and he especially knows who it is who's supported him since the beginning." He nudged her gently in the side with his elbow. "Aww, cheer up. Until Kurt remembers you're his best friend, you've got me. And the rest of the club. But I like to think I'm the most interesting."

A small smile appeared on her lips and she gave him a little nudge in return. "You got that right, white boy."

**Author's Note**: Another short chapter but now I'm going to start getting into the Rumours episode. Thank you for your reviews!


	6. Getting It Wrong

**Author's Notes**: I never understood why Mercedes acted the way she did toward Sam in the Rumours episode. He hadn't done anything to her and yet suddenly she was attacking him along with the rest of the club. This is just my take on why exactly Mercedes spoke out the way she did.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Glee or any of Glee's characters.

Quinn sat without making a sound while the rest of the glee club applauded Rachel for her rendition of Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way". When the noise had died down, she cynically asked, "Don't you think it's maybe a _little_ inappropriate that you chose to sing a love song to my guy?"

Mercedes looked indifferently from Quinn to Rachel. Sure it was inappropriate but this was Rachel they were talking about. When it came to her and Finn, that girl was always doing or saying something crazy or inappropriate. At least she hadn't done anything truly crazy this time around.

Rachel was clearly prepared for Quinn's reaction. That wasn't surprising. The girl seemed to thrive on drama. She pointed a finger at the former cheerleader. "You're such a hypocrite! You little Miss Perfect Proper, you're a cheater who cheats in cheap motels with Sam!"

Mercedes glanced down at Sam who was sitting beside Artie in the front row. She had moved to the empty seat between Lauren and Tina when he had walked into the room, not wanting to be anywhere near him after her conversation with Kurt that morning.

_Standing at her locker, Mercedes smiled when she saw Kurt walking toward her. "Hey Kurt. I can't wait for tonight." They were going to see Spring Awakening in Columbus after having dinner, just the two of them, at Breadstix. They'd bought the tickets at least a month ago but she hadn't really remembered about their plans until after Sam had left her house last Saturday. He had been right. They would find their way back to each other. And tonight was the night they would do it. _

_Kurt walked past her to his own locker, lifting a hand to his hair to smooth it even though it was immaculately done as always. "Tonight? Why? What's happening?"_

_Her heart immediately dropped. She took a small step toward him, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Breadstix. Spring Awakening. The show's tonight."_

_"I forgot." His face took on an apologetic look so perfect it looked like he had practiced it in the mirror that morning. "Maybe we can go some other night? I promised Sam I would…" He caught himself. "I made plans tonight that I can't change."_

_What did Sam have to do with anything? She suddenly remembered Tina's text saying that they spent the entire emergency meeting that Rachel had called (the one that Mercedes had blatantly ignored because an emergency to Rachel Berry was not getting a solo) discussing Kurt, Sam, and a motel. Kurt was ditching her for Sam now? "I'm so stupid."_

_Kurt frowned and turned from rifling through the contents of his locker. "What?"_

_"First Blaine and now Sam. This time we were actually scheduled to hang out, Kurt. Another rain check? Really? Spring Awakening is only going to be in Columbus tonight."_

_"Mercedes, I'm sorry." He lowered the volume of his voice to match hers. "I wish I could explain."_

_She rolled her eyes, folding her arms against her chest. "Oh you don't have to explain anything, Kurt. I know exactly what's going on, believe me."_

_"But you don't…!"_

_"I do. I get it now." Mercedes turned to her locker and slammed its door closed. "I'm just not worth your time anymore. Fine. You don't have to be worth mine." She glared at him for a moment and walked away._

They'd talked about how much she missed Kurt. And now he was spending more time with her best friend than she was? Mercedes stole a look over her shoulder where Kurt was sitting behind her. He was looking annoyed at the motel subject being brought back up again. She hoped he was happy. Now the whole club was in his and Sam's business.

"You know, I blame Sam for all of this," Santana was saying drily. "Rachel too. I blame her."

Rachel's jaw dropped. "What did _I _do?"

Santana shook her head from side to side, clearly not caring whose fault it really was. "I'm sure you did something."

Lauren nodded. "See, I'm with Santana. I mean, why doesn't Sam have anything to say about all this?"

"Guilt," someone quipped.

Puck stopped fingering chords on his guitar and decided to jump in then. "Seriously dude, what you're doing is not cool. They both have boyfriends!" Mercedes almost rolled her eyes at that. Even if he was a completely different guy from last year, coming from Puck, those words just sounded ridiculous.

"Shut up!" Apparently Sam thought so too. He shifted to the edge of his seat so he could address everyone. "Look, I'm not messing around with Quinn or Kurt or any one of those guys. They're just helping me."

"Oh is that what we're calling it now?" Sam's eyes shot up to meet hers and Mercedes gave a shrug before turning to listen to Mr. Schue as the teacher tried to calm the situation.

"How were they helping you out?"

There was a brief silence before Sam sighed. "Kurt was bringing me some clothes and Quinn was helping me babysit my little brother and sister." Mercedes glanced back at Kurt again; this time he was looking at her. He held her gaze for a while before looking away.

Still sitting behind the drums he'd been accompanying Rachel with, Finn asked, "Then why were you in that motel?"

"Because that's where I live now," Sam answered, a little defensiveness finally finding its way into his voice. His words came out in a rush. "My dad lost his job a few months ago, then we lost our house, so now we live in that motel in one room." No one spoke. Mercedes couldn't even look at him anymore, choosing instead to stare down at her long necklace. Sam stood from his chair and faced the glee club members sitting behind him in one fluid motion. "Are you all happy?" Mercedes lifted her eyes to see his. "The truth's finally out."

They all sat in shock as he walked quickly out of the room. Brittany was the first to break the long silence. "Wow…you guys _really _got that wrong." Kurt and Quinn both groaned.

Mr. Schuester stood. "Sam's one of us. And you attacked him. I never thought I'd see the day when you guys would turn on one of your own like that. Now, I'm going to see if I can find him…Fix this, guys."

Finn waited until Mr. Schue had left the room to stand and walk to sit in an empty chair by Brittany. "We suck. I mean, now I get why he didn't tell us about any of that stuff. Obviously, we suck."

Quinn shook her head. "Sam didn't tell everyone because he didn't want our pity. Would you tell us if _you _were homeless? No. Some things you like to keep to yourself."

Rachel pinched the bridge of her nose between two of her fingers, wincing when she realized that it was still sore from Finn's arm colliding with it. "What can we do? Mr. Schue wants us to fix this. We have to make things right. How do we do that?"

"We could buy back his guitar." Quinn smoothed out her skirt and crossed her legs at the ankles. "Sam sold it a few days ago. He told me that they only gave him $300 for it but…he sold it anyway so his parents could buy groceries for the month and pay for the room. It would mean the world to him if we could get it back before it was sold. They're selling it for $750. I checked." One of the few club members who hadn't said a word against Sam, Mike gave her a smile.

Finn frowned as he tried to do some quick math in his head. "So we'll all bring in…"

"$63," Artie quipped.

"Thanks, man. Can everyone do that by tomorrow? Would that work?"

"I could just give you the $750." Everyone turned to Mercedes and she slowly looked up from her shoes. "I've been getting an allowance since I was 12. $50 a week adds up. I do spend it…but I know I have at least that much."

"How much money do dentists _make_?" Brittany asked, eyes wide.

Mercedes just shrugged. She couldn't get the pained look that had been in Sam's eyes out of her head. She had been all wrong. He had considered her his friend and she had turned her back on him as soon as she had suspected he was taking Kurt away from her. "I can have it for you by tomorrow. Just tell Sam that the whole glee club bought it back."

She zoned out of the conversation as everyone started talking about who would go buy the guitar. As the club's captains, Finn and Rachel were more than likely going to be the ones who would actually give it to Sam. Having the guitar back might be enough to fix Sam's relationship with the glee club but now she was going to have to fix her relationship with him. She felt Kurt move past her to get to the front of the risers. Her relationship with Sam wasn't the only one that desperately needed fixing. Not by a long shot.


	7. Making Things Right

Sam waved goodbye to Quinn as she drove away from the motel, glancing back inside the dark room at his two sleeping siblings before closing the door. They'd had a pretty exciting day accompanying him to glee club rehearsal. A small smile came across Sam's lips. That was the happiest he'd seen them and the happiest he'd been in a long time. The feeling he had gotten, playing his guitar again and literally being lifted up by his friends, filled him with hope that maybe things weren't as bad as they seemed to be. Sure, they were still living in a crappy room in a crappy motel. But now it wasn't a secret. Now the glee club knew and _he_ knew that they all had his back. Or at least he knew _some_ of them had his back.

He leaned back against the wall and looked up at the night sky. Of all of the glee club members who had jumped to conclusions about what he was doing with Quinn and Kurt, it was Mercedes who had hurt him the most. And he didn't even understand why. Maybe it was because he'd felt connected to her. Maybe it was because he had begun to consider her a friend. Maybe it was because he had thought she would be the one person to stick up for him like she had before.

Sam turned his head at the sound of a car coming into the motel's parking lot and squinted against the sudden brightness of headlights shining in his eyes. The engine turned off and the driver stepped out, grabbing a purse from the passenger's seat before closing their car door. He frowned. "Mercedes?" Speak of the devil.

She looked anxious, clutching her bag to her side tightly as if it were a lifeline. "Hi Sam. I hope you don't mind that Quinn told me which motel you were staying at. I…wanted to talk if that's okay with you."

Just the thought of Mercedes Jones, the diva of McKinley High, being nervous to talk to him made Sam want to hear her out even if deep down he just wanted her to leave. Finally, he shrugged. "Go ahead."

"I know I hurt you. You're going through a tough time right now…you and your family. All you needed was someone to have your back while everyone was judging you and making you feel like you were doing something wrong…and I didn't have it like I should have. What I said yesterday…I was jealous because Kurt was spending time with you instead of me. It's stupid, I know, but that's where it came from. I didn't realize he was just being a friend to you…and he was a much better friend than I was. _You've _been a much better friend than I was." Mercedes took a timid step forward; her chocolate-hued eyes searched his. "I'm really sorry, Sam."

Sam stood, silently regarding her for a moment. He watched her hurriedly brush away the tears that were gathering in her eyes. Part of him appreciated that she'd felt so badly about what she said that she came to apologize personally. Part of him hated that she was crying because of something to do with him. An even larger part of him just hated that she was crying at all. "Y'know…Rachel and Finn came and apologized for the whole group. You didn't have to do this. I would've gotten over it eventually."

Mercedes dropped her hands from her face with a grimace. "You're one of the nicest guys at McKinley, Sam, which makes you real easy to take advantage of because you think the best of people. But you shouldn't _have_ to get over it. You didn't deserve what happened in glee club. You're the last person who deserves that. I wanted to apologize on my own because I was wrong for what I did to you." She shook her head sadly. "We were almost friends for a second there, and I blew it."

Sam sighed and slowly straightened from his lean against the motel wall. "We _are f_riends."

"So…you forgive me?"

He smiled a little at the hope that was in her eyes. Since when did his friendship mean this much to anybody? "Yeah Mercedes, I forgive you. Thank you for taking the time out to come here tonight." The big hug that she gave him then caught him completely by surprise but Sam gave as good as he got, enveloping her in his arms and holding her as if he'd been waiting for someone other than Stacy and Stevie to hug him for years now. He couldn't help but think that a hug from Mercedes Jones felt a lot like being wrapped in a large fleece blanket. Warm. Welcome.

Mercedes began to take a step back and laughed when she felt he wasn't letting her go. "Sometimes you just need a hug, right?"

"Right. Sorry 'bout that." He reluctantly released her, grinning apologetically.

"Nothing wrong with needing to be held, Sam. And we really have to stop apologizing to each other. Soon we're both going to have a complex."

He stuck his hand out toward her. "No more apologies?"

She reached out her own and shook his firmly. "No more doing things to each other that _require _an apology."

"Agreed." A little shiver ran down Sam's spine and he became aware of the chill that was suddenly in the air. "Wish I could invite you in but I just got the munchkins down for the count and they need their rest. Today was pretty busy for them."

Mercedes nodded, putting her hands in the pockets of her jacket. "They were incredible today. It's obvious they love their big brother."

He smiled. "They've been really strong throughout all this. Sometimes I don't think they understand what's going on but then I realize they know just as well as the rest of us. They're just stronger." His face fell slightly. "Don't know where they get the strength."

"Obviously from you." Still close to him, Mercedes reached out a hand again and touched his arm. "Now that we all know…is there anything I can do for you? Anything you need?"

"Sometimes Quinn can't babysit…"

"Then call me and I'll come on over. Anytime."

"Seriously? That would be incredible."

She went to stand against the wall beside him. "It's what friends do."

He waited a moment before putting an arm around her shoulders. Ever since he had come to McKinley High School, nothing had really happened the way that was expected. But this was okay. In fact, he preferred this to the way things were before. Sam looked down at Mercedes, his cheek gently brushing the top of her hair. Yeah, he _definitely _preferred this.


	8. Impossible to Ignore

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Glee.

Sam walked into the choir room just as Lauren, Brittany, and Santana arrived. They were talking about prom. He gave them a discreet cynical glance and went quickly to a seat at the back of the risers next to Kurt. Prom. It was all the girls at McKinley had been talking about for weeks. He'd been trying to avoid any conversations about that night. It was bad enough that he couldn't even afford to take someone.

"You're up for Queen," Santana was saying to Lauren. "You can't make your own prom dress. Prom is like our Oscars. It's seriously like the most important night of our lives."

"What about getting married?" Lauren asked skeptically.

Quinn leaned forward, one of her eyebrows perfectly arched upward. "Oh, you can get married as many times as you want; you only get one shot at your Junior Prom." Sam frowned. There was something really wrong with that logic.

"What are you guys talking about?" Mercedes entered the room. Sam's frown deepened as he watched her approach the seat directly in front of him and Kurt. She looked upset about something. Maybe she couldn't find a dress either. He leaned back in his chair and raised his arms behind his head, silently observing her.

"Prom dresses," Lauren answered, her frustration seeping in her voice.

Mercedes sank down in the chair, crossing her arms tightly against her chest. "Thank God I don't have to worry about that. I'm not going." Sam just kept looking at her. Really? If she could look good in a T-shirt with a huge, purple, open mouth on it, it couldn't be _that_ hard to find a dress, could it?

Kurt went from looking completely disinterested in the conversation to looking concerned. "Why not?"

" 'Cause nobody's asked me."

Behind her, Sam's lips pursed. He'd already made up his mind that if he even had the option to go to prom, it would be with her. The start of their friendship had been a bit rocky but after all the help she'd given him lately, she deserved the best prom night ever and he wanted to be the one to share it with her. But he wasn't going to prom. And apparently neither was she. He made a mental note to ask her if she would want to come over and hang out that night. They could maybe watch a movie or two. The night didn't have to be ruined.

The bell rang and Mr. Schuester turned from writing a single word on the whiteboard at the front of the room. "Alright guys. Prom."

"Please tell me we're not doing songs about prom," Sam said, tilting his head to the side and struggling not to roll his eyes at the way Rachel had straightened in her seat and began clapping her hands together excitedly.

"Nope." Mr. Schuester almost looked apologetic for a second. "We _are _the prom. Figgins has asked us to perform."

"Let's do _Run Joey Run_," Rachel immediately suggested. Everyone turned to look at her with expressions that practically screamed their opposition.

Mr. Schuester fortunately ignored her. "Now I know this isn't ideal with Nationals coming up but we really don't have choice. And, we could really use the money." He grabbed a nearby stool and sat down on it. "But I know that Prom is a special rite of passage and I want to make sure that all of you guys get a chance to enjoy the dance too _so_ we're gonna stagger the performances so each and every one of you has a lot of time to dance with your dates."

"Excuse me." Mercedes stood and made her way out of the choir room.

Mr. Schuester looked at all of them, confused. "Is she okay?"

Quinn answered, her voice low. "Mercedes doesn't have a date for Prom." Sam looked down at her curiously. She almost sounded soft again.

"So?" Brittany shrugged. "I don't have a date. I'm just going to dance. Then all of your dates are going to ignore you and come dance with me so your dates are really my dates." She gave a little fist pump in the air.

"I'm gonna go talk to Mercedes." Kurt began to stand.

"No, let me." Rachel gave a small smile and followed after her.

Sam watched Kurt settle back down in his chair, almost disappointedly, and sighed. If there was one girl impossible to ignore at McKinley High School, it would be Mercedes Jones. Yet somehow, she fell through the cracks of the most desirable girls. Guys just weren't looking for girls that were genuine and loyal for their prom dates. At least that was the explanation he came up with. Sam let his gaze travel toward the open choir door before focusing on what Mr. Schuester was saying. Yeah, that was the only explanation he could come up with.


	9. The Perfect Prom

**Author's Note: **Super short chapter this time. I always did appreciate how Rachel related to Mercedes when she was talking about her dreams for Prom.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Glee.

"Hey."

Mercedes turned from her open locker, giving the smallest of smiles when she saw Rachel Berry walking toward her. She hadn't expected anyone to follow her. Well, maybe Kurt. If anyone, it would've been Kurt. Really, it _should_ have been Kurt. Her gaze dropped to the hallway floor.

Rachel gave a comforting smile. "You know, I don't have a date to Prom either."

Mercedes looked up and faced the other girl. "Y'know, I know that I talk a big game about not needing a man and I don't." Her voice became strained. "I just really wanted to take a date to the Prom. I want the dress…and the guy." She let out a frustrated breath and turned again to her locker. "The damn corsage."

Rachel struggled for words to say, something that almost never happened. "Somebody's…somebody still may ask you."

"It's this Saturday." Mercedes closed her locker door after pulling out her purple jacket, shrugging it on. "I just…wanted to be Cinderella…just for one night." She could see by the expression on Rachel's face that she could relate to that feeling. Her eyes closed as she pictured Prom. The Prom night that she dreamed of. "One night where a guy would look at me under those corny, crepe paper streamers and say…'you look so beautiful'. Then he'd grab my hand and ask me to dance. Isn't that what Prom is supposed to be about?"

"You're not going to go to Prom alone," Rachel assured her softly. "You'll go with me."

Wow. No. Mercedes shook her head, lowering her gaze once more. "That's even more depressing."

Rachel nodded her head, her eyes showing that Mercedes's rejection had reminded her of something else. Maybe she had asked Finn even though he was with Quinn. "I have a plan."

Mercedes raised an eyebrow. "What kind of plan?"


	10. Prom on a Budget

Sam closed his locker and turned to join everyone at lunch, jumping slightly when he saw Rachel Berry standing right behind him. "…Hello?" Now this was weird. Rachel Berry never looked anything less than confident and sure. Right now she was looking the opposite of those. Actually, lately she had been looking rejected and, in a way, he felt guilty. Now that she knew about his family's situation, his saying "no" to going to Prom with her made a little more sense, right? He managed a smile. "How have you been?"

"Oh I'm fine." She glanced over his shoulder at Finn and Quinn who were standing by Finn's locker looking like the perfect couple once more. He'd be surprised if they didn't win Prom King and Queen. They just looked the part. When Sam turned his head to follow her gaze, she perked up, smiling brightly. "Um, we need to talk to you about something. Do you have a minute?"

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion even as he nodded. She started walking briskly and he followed suit. "You said we. Who else…? Where are we going?"

"Right in here." She ducked into the backstage door of McKinley's auditorium.

Rachel pulled back an edge of the heavy velvet curtain so they could walk onto the stage and Sam glanced up at the lights. "Is this a surprise party or something 'cause my birthday was last week."

She looked up at him, looking unsure again. "It-It was? Um…no, Mercedes and I…we have a proposition for you."

One of Sam's eyebrows shot up. Mercedes came walking up onto the stage, crossing behind the baby grand to stand in front of him. Sam stuck his hands into his front pockets with a small smile. Whatever it was that Rachel had dragged her into, he was glad it was her.

Mercedes looked to Rachel as if she needed support for what she was about to say before turning to him with a hopeful expression. "We were wondering if you'd like to go to Prom with us."

Sam ignored the warmth that filled him at the thought of taking Mercedes to Prom and glanced between the two girls. Rachel rushed on. "Kind of like a three-way date but not the dirty kind."

He gave a weird chuckle, his gaze falling back on Mercedes. "Sounds great." She gave him a look that said '_not_ the dirty kind', and he looked to Rachel again. "But I can't afford to take one girl to Prom. I don't know how I'm gonna take two." Especially not one he had already said no to. As if reading his mind, Rachel quickly unfolded a few bills and held them out in front of her. He tried not to get immediately offended at what obviously looked like a bribe. "What's this?"

Rachel smiled. "Our Prom budget."

Mercedes explained while Rachel handed him part of the money. "You're gonna have to borrow a suit from your dad and we're gonna buy $5 dresses down at the Goodwill and make our own corsages out of flowers from my mom's garden."

Rachel started speaking again before Mercedes was even finished. "And we can walk to Prom and then use what's left to get the $8.99 All-You-Can-Eat-Pasta-Special at Breadstix." Mercedes nodded. Rachel noticed the way Sam was biting on his lower lip and continued. "But you know, the $20, it's not charity; it's a loan."

As long as that was clear. Sam's face brightened slightly. The last thing he wanted was charity. That was so much worse than a bribe. Mercedes squinted her eyes as if bracing herself for him to say no. "So…you'll go with us?"

Sam looked at her for a longer moment than he intended and then slowly moved his gaze to Rachel's face. Both girls were looking at him anxiously awaiting his reply. He smiled, his gaze returning to Mercedes's face. "It would be an honor."

Their smiles practically lit up the stage. Sam wrapped one girl in each arm as they moved in for a hug, giving Mercedes an especially tight squeeze. And here she was thinking he was doing _her_ a favor.

Rachel pulled back from the embrace first. "Well, I'm off to practice. Mr. Schue has allowed me to choose my selection for Prom as I am the only glee club member truly being showcased that night."

Mercedes rolled her eyes as soon as the other girl practically skipped off of the stage while humming Adele's _Rolling in the Deep_. "I wonder if she knows that even though she's the only soloist, we're all choosing our own songs." Her face grew warm as she realized that Sam's arm was still around her. She bit her lower lip shyly. "It was really nice of you to agree to going with us."

Sam looked down at her with a frown. "I didn't agree to go because it would be the nice thing to do." Her eyes slowly rose to meet his. He shrugged. "I want to go with you." Quickly, he added, "And Rachel. You and Rachel."

"Well thanks anyway." She took a step back, smoothly disengaging from under his arm. "I'm gonna go too. Santana's waiting for me. We have to practice too."

His frown deepened, partly because of the distance that was now between them and partly because of what she had said. "Mr. Schue paired you with Santana?"

"We've got good vocal chemistry even if we rarely agree on anything."

"Anything as in how to treat people."

Mercedes smirked, noticing the bitterness that was barely hidden in his voice. "Yeah, that."

He caught her arm as she turned to walk away. "Hey, Mercedes?" She turned back toward him expectantly. Sam cleared his throat. "About the corsages…I always thought that was something the guy did for the girl, er, girls. You should really let me make them."

Her face was skeptical. "Sam Evans, do you know how to make a corsage?"

"Maybe you could help me? I just want to be a part of the process somewhat instead of just showing up because you guys paid me."

She tilted her head to the side for a moment before nodding. "Alright. We could meet at my house after school today or tomorrow and get them done. Which one works for…?"

"Today," he interrupted, blushing immediately. "I mean…the sooner the better, right?"

"Right." Mercedes waited for a bit as if to make sure that he had nothing else to say and walked off the same way that she had walked onto the stage. She was halfway to the auditorium doors before she called out, "By the way, the money really isn't charity. Or a bribe. You owe me $10, white boy."

He chuckled softly as the doors closed behind her.


	11. Nothing But a Group Date

**Author's Note: **So after the long wait for the Glee season 3 premiere, I gotta say, I wasn't too happy with that first episode. Seeing Mercedes with her new boyfriend was a little tough but I'm trying to reserve judgement until we see more of them. That seems fair. Oh well. Samcedes forever.

"How the hell are you gonna invite Jesse St. James into our group?"

Sam glanced up at Mercedes from his seat at the kitchen table. She had been on the phone with Rachel for about five minutes and had already said 'Hell to the no' at least ten times. He discreetly smiled down at the freshly picked flowers that were scattered in front of him on some old newspaper. Sometimes it felt like Mercedes was always fighting for something. Fighting in defense of her friends, a chance to sing the next solo, etc. At least this time it was the sanctity of their budget Prom date.

He stood and opened his mouth to say something but she held out a hand. Sam sank back down as she whispered harshly into the phone, "Fine, he can come. But don't expect me to welcome him with open arms. _Especially _if he comes bringing drama. And if Jesse St. James ruins my Prom night…" Rachel said something pleadingly on the other line. Mercedes rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Just make sure he watches himself. Right. Goodbye." She lowered the phone from her ear and ended the call. "I just knew something would go wrong. I just _knew_ it."

"So Jesse St. Jerk is coming with us?"

"Yeah." Mercedes sat beside him, grabbing the tube of hot glue to secure a tied ribbon to the wrist corsage she had started before Rachel had called. "I don't know how she convinced me to say yes to that. I don't know how she convinced _herself _to say yes to that actually. You'd think it would be a little harder to get back with a guy who smashed an egg on your forehead."

Ouch. Sam winced. "That bad huh?"

"She must be over it. I should've let you talk to her. She probably would have told him no if she knew _you_ had a problem with it."

Sam shrugged at that logic. "I guess it's alright if he joins our group. I really just wanted you to myself." Mercedes looked up sharply from gluing a flower under the ribbon's knot. Kicking himself inwardly, Sam grabbed a flower to hand to her once she was done. "You and Rachel. But anyway, as long as he doesn't cause any trouble, it should be okay."

Mercedes continued looking at him for a few more seconds before returning to her task. "Oh there's gonna be trouble whether he starts it or not. We're talking Finn and Jesse in the same crowded room here."

"You think Finn's going to be jealous? Of Jesse? He's going with Quinn for a reason." That whole love-square thing that Finn, Rachel, Jesse, and Quinn had going on was crazy. Personally, Sam was just happy to not have any part of it. He glanced up from watching Mercedes's hands as they meticulously glued flower after flower onto the corsage band and was startled when he saw that she was looking right at him, eyes narrowed. "...Is there a problem?"

"How _are_ things with you and Quinn? Last time I was at the motel, Stacy and Stevie said she hadn't been over to babysit since they came to school with you."

He should have known that Stacy and Stevie would say something about that. The reason for Quinn not babysitting as much was kind of selfish on his part. Not that they knew that. After a long day of school and work, Sam just preferred to come back to the dingy motel room and see Mercedes Jones sitting there waiting for him. Sometimes she would have to leave as soon as he came back but a lot of the time they would sit at the foot of the bed where the two children slept, put the television on mute, and talk for a while. To tell the truth, he had never had much to say to Quinn.

Sam shrugged, deciding to answer Mercedes's question simply. "Things are good."

She smirked. "Really? That's it? 'Things are good'?"

"What more do you want me to say? We don't talk much. Does she talk to _you_?"

Mercedes gave a snort as if to dismiss his question but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. "Quinn and I haven't had much to do with each other since last year."

"Wait…Quinn and you…were you guys close?"

The snort turned into a soft chuckle. "I considered her my sister. She stayed here in this house for about a month. Shoot, I was there when Beth was born. So yeah, we were close. Once upon a time." She set down the finished corsage and gently stroked a flower petal with her pinkie. "Not anymore obviously."

Sam looked around the kitchen with new eyes. Quinn had lived here? "She never said anything about…"

"Why would she? That was last year. I'm surprised you two talked about Beth for all the times she's mentioned her so far." At the sight of Sam's incredulous face, Mercedes crossed her arms on top of the table and leaned forward. "It really isn't Quinn's fault that she's so cold now. After everything that went down…I can't blame her for wanting to guard herself. At least she has people looking out for her now. Even though she hasn't called or come over here since she moved out…my family would welcome her back in a heartbeat if she needed us again."

Sam smiled, tilting his head to the side. "You're incredible; you know that, Mercedes Jones?"

She laughed and smacked his arm before tossing him some long-stemmed flowers to cut. "Yeah, I know."

"You know what, baby girl?" The two teenagers turned as Mercedes's father came walking into the kitchen from his office in the back of the house.

Mercedes chuckled as her father slowly noticed Sam seated beside her at the table. "Hi Daddy. This is Sam. The Sam whose sister and brother I've been babysitting."

Sam quickly rose and stepped past her to extend a hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Jones. My name is Sam Evans. I'm in Glee Club with Mercedes. Oh and I'm taking her to Prom."

Both of the older man's eyebrows shot up, and he looked at his daughter while shaking Sam's hand. "Is that so?"

"He's taking me _and_ Rachel. It's a group date." Mercedes explained.

"I see." Mr. Jones watched Sam return to his seat and motioned toward Mercedes. "Mercy, would you join me in the foyer for a second?"

"Sure." She nodded at Sam to continue making the other corsage, turning to follow her father toward the front of the house. "Is something wrong?"

He leaned back against the stair banister with his arms crossed in front of his chest. "Last time you talked about Prom with your mother and I, you said you weren't going. In fact, you sounded angry at us for even bringing up Prom in your presence. That boy in there is the reason you've decided to go after all?"

Mercedes rolled her eyes. So dramatic. This was where she got it. "Rachel and I didn't have dates and Sam was nice enough to agree to take both of us." She crossed her arms in an identical way. "We're going as friends, Daddy. It's nothing serious."

"Alright then. But I do want to say this…" He leaned toward her conspiringly. "I approve."

"Of _what_?"

"Him. He seems a much better match for you than Noah Puckerman."

Mercedes uncrossed her arms and shook her head. "Group date, Dad. Me and Sam aren't…"

"Alright, baby girl. I'll make sure your mama knows you're suddenly going to Prom so she can be ready to take a million pictures of you in whatever beautiful dress you're wearing. I need to run to the office real quick. See you at dinner." Mr. Jones pecked her on the cheek and walked briskly upstairs.

Mercedes frowned, not sure what had just happened. Finally she gave a shrug and turned to help Sam finish Rachel's corsage.

**Reviews would be awesome!**


	12. Hello, Beautiful Girl

**Author's Note**: This is kind of a filler chapter really. Hope you like it and review!

"There. I'm all done." Mrs. Jones used her fingers to deftly arrange some of the more stubborn strands of her daughter's hair and spritzed the side curls with holding spray once more. When Mercedes didn't move from her position of sitting with her head down in front of her vanity, she gave her a soft kiss on top of her newly-done hair. "How are you feeling, honey?"

Mercedes slowly raised her eyes to the large mirror and froze. One of her hands reached up to the dangling diamond earrings she had in her ears. "…I feel beautiful." Her mother let out a little squeal and ran out of the bedroom to grab her husband.

Mercedes dropped her hand and stared at her reflection. Maybe this was a taste of what it was like to be beautiful and to feel beautiful every day. Maybe this was what Quinn and Santana felt when they looked into the mirror, ready to be noticed as they walked through McKinley. Ready to turn heads.

"You look stunning, baby girl."

She turned with a bright smile to see her father leaning against her bedroom's doorframe. Her mother immediately snapped a picture; Mercedes squinted against the sudden flash of light. "Mom!"

"Let the girl stand up and show herself off, woman!" Mr. Jones admonished his wife. His face looked stern but his eyes were practically dancing. "C'mon Mercy, let me see how beautiful you _really _are in that dress."

Mercedes stood. At her mother's insistence, she gave one half-turn and then another. Mrs. Jones flicked a tear from the corner of her eye and snapped two more pictures. Mr. Jones winked at her. "That boy downstairs sure is going to like what he sees."

Huh? Mercedes paused in the middle of giving her mother her best diva pose. "What boy downstairs?"

"That Sam kid. He's been here for a little over 30 minutes. You know, with all the trouble his family's been going through, we really could do more than lending you out to babysit. Maybe they should come over for dinner sometime. Think that would be a good idea?"

Mrs. Jones nodded while Mercedes crossed her arms. "I didn't even hear the doorbell ring. Why didn't either of you tell me he was here?"

Her parents grinned at each other and then turned to her with equally innocent looks. Her father shrugged. "Must've just slipped our minds with all this excitement going on."

"Uh huh."

He chuckled at the look on her face. "We'll go downstairs and wait for you to make your debut. Give a shout when you're all set."

She nodded and watched them disappear down the hallway, listening for their footsteps on the stairs before muttering, "How in the world does something like that slip your mind?" Did her parents think it was every day that an extremely attractive jock showed up on their doorstep?

Mercedes applied some more lip gloss and frowned when she realized that her hand was slightly shaking. Why be nervous? Sam wasn't her prom date. She was sharing him with Rachel. There was nothing to it. It was just a group date between three friends. Of course now that Jesse St. James was coming, their group date was going to feel more like a double date. Mercedes blinked and grabbed her wrap from the back of the chair in front of her vanity. No. It was still a group date. That's what they intended it to be; that's what it would be.

She went to the stairs. After adjusting the bodice of her dress, she called out, "I'm ready!" A wide smile came across her face as she heard footsteps quickly coming toward the foot of the stairs.

Down in the Jones's family room, Sam had gotten to his feet as soon as he heard Mercedes's voice. Mr. Jones rose from the couch as well. The older man gave a knowing grin as he motioned for Sam to follow him to the stairs.

Sam wiped sweaty hands on his suit pants. When had his mouth ever been this dry? Was this how Finn felt as he saw Quinn coming down the stairs? Was it supposed be all warm all of a sudden? He finally met Mr. and Mrs. Jones at the foot of the stairs and looked up, immediately feeling his jaw go slack. Holy…she looked beautiful.

Mercedes gave the three of them a shy smile as she slowly descended down the stairs, one hand firm on the banister. She felt her cheeks warm when her eyes met Sam's. Their eyes had barely connected before his gaze swept over her figure.

How could anyone pass over Mercedes Jones for girls like Santana and Quinn? How did anyone not see how _wonderful _her body was? Sam averted his gaze as Mr. Jones looked in his direction. Time to keep the thoughts PG-13.

Mercedes reached them quicker than her mother would have liked, and Mrs. Jones had her go back up a few steps for a picture. After she and her father posed together, she went to stand by Sam, looking down at the wrap in her hands. "Why are you here? I thought Jesse was picking Rachel up, then you, and then me. Aren't you supposed to be at the motel?"

"I got ready and then decided to come here. Don't worry; I called Rachel and asked her to tell Jesse that I would be at your house instead." The look on Mercedes's face told Sam that clear communication with Jesse St. James was the least of her concerns. Sam sighed. "You deserve to have the guy waiting for you when you come down the stairs on Prom night. I wanted to be that guy."

She glanced over at her parents who were reviewing the pictures that her mother had taken so far. "That's sweet of you." He opened his mouth to argue and she shook her head. "Don't argue. I know you're just gonna say you didn't just do it to be sweet. I know. But it _was_ sweet. So thank you."

"You're welcome."

A car honked outside of the Jones's home and the two teenagers turned toward the front door. Mercedes looked then to her parents. "Mom, Dad, that's Jesse."

Her mother hurried away to grab Mercedes's clutch that she would be carrying to Prom and returned holding it out in front of her. "Take a picture with your date first. Oh c'mon honey, you only go to your Junior Prom once."

Mercedes looked up at Sam; he shrugged with a grin. "She's right." He watched her take her clutch from Mrs. Jones and offered her his arm. "Besides, we look too good _not_ to take a picture."

She tugged a little bit on the end of his bolo tie, not even bothering to wonder to herself which part of her mother's statement Sam was agreeing with. "Can't argue with that." She took his arm; her hand rested delicately in the crook of his elbow.

Mrs. Jones shared another look with her husband before lifting the camera up to her face.

**Next will be dinner at Breadstix!**


	13. Another Kind of Perfect

Sam and Mercedes waved goodbye to his father as they entered Breadstix. Jesse St. James had called the motel to "courteously" let Sam know that he had forgotten that he was picking up the other half of the group and was already at the popular restaurant with Rachel. Mr. Evans had rushed over to the Jones's house to pick up the two of them, not willing to have Mercedes walk all the way there.

When they had stepped outside to see his family's beat-up Chevy in her driveway and heard the explanation of why his dad was there, Sam had felt a rush of embarrassment (it _was_ his dad driving them to dinner after all) but it was quickly followed by happiness that his family cared about Mercedes Jones almost as much as he did. She had accepted the ride without hesitation, giving Mr. Evans a big smile and thanking him as she got into the backseat with Sam as well as once they reached their destination. Sam couldn't help but think of what Quinn or, God forbid, Santana would have done if they had been his dates. Santana probably would have cussed him out in front of his dad.

"Don't let me hurt him."

Sam looked down at Mercedes as they followed the waitress leading them to the booth where Jesse and Rachel were sitting. "Who?"

She raised her face and he saw how her eyes were narrowed into tiny slits. "St. James. Don't let me hurt him."

Sam chuckled and nudged her gently. "How 'bout I not let _you_ let Jesse St. James ruin this night for us?" She let out a "Humph" but nodded her agreement.

Rachel and Jesse looked to be in deep conversation when they reached the booth. The waitress put down menus for them and went to grab a pad to write down their orders when they were all ready. Jesse watched her disappear into the kitchen disinterestedly before giving Sam and Mercedes polite nods. "Hey, you two. Sorry I left you hanging there. Glad you could make it."

Sam slid in to sit beside Rachel. "No worries. Thanks for leaving me that message at the motel." He looked to Mercedes almost warily but she seemed to be taking his words to heart, nodding a hello to Jesse and smiling at Rachel.

The other girl crossed both of her arms on the tabletop daintily. "Mercedes, can I just say that you look fierce in your dress?"

Mercedes pretended to model her fuchsia gown and they all laughed. Jesse reached out to grab the cup of coffee in front of him. "Totally, Mercedes. You _both _look smoking."

She took her seat, simultaneously pulling up her wrap from where it had slipped on her shoulder. "You're damn straight we do."

"Seriously though Jesse what do you think of the bolo tie?" Sam held out the accessory in question proudly. "Pretty cool, right? It's all Springsteen and the cover of _Tunnel of Love_ album."

Jesse raised his eyebrows. "Dude, that was like 20 years ago." He chuckled condescendingly and glanced at Rachel. When he saw Sam's hurt expression, he changed his tone. "I'm really sorry to hear about what happened with your family, Sam."

Mercedes's lips parted in surprise that he knew anything about Sam's situation. Rachel quickly explained. "Um, I hope it's okay that I sort of filled Jesse in on what was going on." Mercedes frowned. Since when was it any of Jesse St. James's business what was going on in the Evans household? She resisted the urge to tell the other girl just how not okay that was.

Jesse looked at Rachel and then Sam with feigned concern and sympathy. "Of course it's okay. Sam has nothing to be ashamed of." Sam shifted in his seat and Mercedes rubbed his arm comfortingly. Jesse continued, "I know how tough it is out there. I couldn't even get a job as one of those singing waiters at Johnny Rockets. But I've got an idea." He lowered his voice and all three of them leaned in to hear what he was going to say. "They say the best time to start any business is during a recession. I don't know why or even what a recession is but it's my understanding that we're in one."

Rachel was looking at him like little pearls of wisdom were literally falling out of his mouth. "He's so smart." She turned to Sam and Mercedes as if wanting them to share in her awe. "I can't believe he flunked out of college."

Sam's eyes widened and he looked toward Mercedes as Rachel turned back to Jesse. Mercedes had the face on that she usually reserved for the most nonsensical Brittany-sayings. It practically screamed _"What the…?"_ Jesse wasn't done unfortunately. "So I was thinking. What are the two things that I'm great at? Show choir and destroying the competition. So what if I opened up a dance studio where I could act as a consultant for show choirs looking to get that extra edge?"

Mercedes put down her glass from taking a sip of water and asked, "Do you think there are enough show choirs to keep you in business?"

Sam looked at her amusedly. Wow. She was really humoring Jesse. That was the stupidest idea he'd ever heard in his life.

"Of course there are," Rachel immediately answered, obviously fully supportive of Jesse's new career plan. "That's a brilliant idea. You could be like the show choir whisperer." She and Jesse cracked up laughing. "I'm sure we could get Mr. Schue to hire him in a second and that's how we could beat Vocal Adrenaline!"

"Hey guys, you look amazing!" They all looked up to see Quinn and Finn standing at the table; none of them had even noticed the couple coming. Quinn's voice was calm and lovely; it was clear that she knew just how much tension was caused by their presence. Rachel's face had a look of shock on it. "And don't forget to vote for Hudson and Fabray tonight."

Sam sat silent, not even really trying to smile at them. It was interesting seeing Quinn on Finn's arm and that was all. Just interesting. As beautiful as she looked with her perfectly done hair and perfect choice of dress, something was different in the way he looked at her. It was as though something was missing. His gaze was drawn to Mercedes and he realized something. He didn't feel that way when he looked at her.

"Hey Jesse." Meanwhile, Finn wasn't even bothering with pleasantries. "What'd you order, scrambled eggs? I mean, I know you usually like them served on people's heads."

By the look on Jesse's face, it looked as though he was going to take the higher road. "Quinn, you look stunning. The ghost of Grace Kelly. Let me know if you get tired of your boyfriend stomping on your pretty little feet all night, I'd be more than happy to cut in."

"Okay hush, you guys. You're _totally _ruining the vibe." Mercedes smiled and looked up at Finn and Quinn, trying to relay that enough was enough with her eyes. "Quinn, you look hot. Finn, you look handsome. Love you guys." She clapped her hands together and let a little bit of attitude slip into her tone. "But get lost. We'll see you there." Quinn grabbed Finn's arm and led him out of the restaurant.

Sam couldn't stop grinning at Mercedes. This was why everyone listened to her. Because what she said clearly came from a place of love. She turned back to the rest of the group. "Alright, this is gonna be off the hook."

He took his cue from her excitement and brought both of his fists down on the table. "Who's ready for some Prom?"

Rachel shook off the tension that Quinn and Finn had brought with them, smiling again. "I'm ready for Prom."

Their three water glasses and a coffee cup clinked together in the air just as the waitress finally came around to take their order.


	14. Until You See What I See

"Trouty!"

Sam turned from leaving the stage with Puck and Artie, a smile still wide on his face after singing Rebecca Black's _Friday_. It wasn't the best song but it definitely got everyone dancing and having a blast at Junior Prom. His eyes narrowed when he saw that it was Santana who had called out to him. He should have guessed. She was the only one who called him that anymore. Everyone else seemed to get the hint of how much he hated the nickname. "Santana." His eyes disinterestedly looked over her figure. "Nice dress. Really fits your personality."

Santana's full lips turned upwards into one of her signature smirks. "I didn't expect you to show up. Did you come alone or did you find a girl who could be seen with you and that stupid tie?"

"This tie was worn by a cultural icon, Santana. And actually I found _two_ girls who could be seen with me." He pointed discreetly toward the table where Mercedes was seated with three girls from her Statistics class and then to the edge of the stage where Rachel prepared to sing her solo.

"Wheezy and the Hobbit?" Santana raised an eyebrow. "Weird. I thought Mercedes had better taste. I always knew Berry was a lost cause. She spends too much time pining over Custard Nipples. Here's a little prediction. Her solo is dedicated to him."

Sam didn't follow her gaze toward Finn, choosing instead to simply shrug. "We don't like each other; she can dedicate the song to whoever she wants. Besides, I'm more than used to the feeling of a girl choosing someone else over me. I would've survived."

Her grimace was almost apologetic as she walked closer to him. Rachel began to sing and Sam instantly approved of her choice of song. _Jar of Hearts_ seemed very appropriate considering who he was talking to. "Listen, Evans, Karofsky and me…it wasn't about you. Sorry if you got hurt but…" Santana looked somewhere over his right shoulder. "I had to make a decision and do what was best for me."

He knew without looking that her gaze was on a certain blonde girl in a neon green dress. "Yeah, I kind of guessed that you didn't consider me or my feelings when you decided to dump me for Dave Karofsky in front of everyone." Sam sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm over it though, Santana. I think we both knew that I wasn't who you wanted. Just like Karofsky isn't who you want now. Here's hoping you figure it all out one day." He glanced pointedly over at Brittany dancing near the center of the floor. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise and he took the opportunity to make his way over to Mercedes's table.

She was sitting by herself now. He passed all three of the girls that were at her table on the dance floor. The expression on Mercedes's face as she fiddled idly with her corsage made his heart thump painfully. Mercedes Jones always seemed to be waiting for someone to notice her, to acknowledge her, to show her how incredible she really was. Maybe she wasn't waiting for just anyone. Maybe she was waiting for him. That thought made Sam begin walking a little faster through the crowd of dancing teenagers.

He stopped short right in front of her but she didn't look up. "Mercedes?"

"Yes?" Her head rose quickly; her fingers stilled on her corsage.

It was funny how as soon as she looked up, all coherent thought seemed to leave him. "Uh, I just wanted to let you know that you look beautiful." She just blinked up at him, looking more vulnerable than he had ever seen her. Sam felt a smile coming on but kept a relatively straight face. "Would you like to dance?" He extended a hand toward her.

Her eyes locked on his for a moment before her gaze lowered to his hand. Finally, a smile appeared on her face and the genuineness of it made him smile. Her hand left her corsage, halted in midair and then rested in his hand gracefully. "I'd love to."

By the time he had led her to a perfect spot on the dance floor, Rachel had finished singing. Sam bit his lower lip and looked down at Mercedes regretfully. "Guess I should've asked you to dance a lot sooner."

They applauded Rachel with everyone else. Mercedes crossed her arms against her chest sassily. "You got me up, Sam Evans. Better believe we're gonna dance."

Blaine, Brittany, and Tina started into _I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You_. Sam winked at her while raising a hand in mock salute. "Then let's dance."

He wasn't the world's greatest dancer. His dance moves during his Justin Beiber Experience performances for the glee club were pretty much the extent of how complicated impromptu choreography could possibly get for Sam. But Mercedes didn't seem to care. She took whatever he was doing and just made it her own, no matter how crazy it looked. Without thinking about it, Sam launched into The Robot and, before he could stop and apologize profusely for ruining her Junior Prom with a single lame dance move, Mercedes raised her arms and followed his lead. Sam stood staring at her.

Finally realizing that he had completely stopped moving, Mercedes straightened and placed her hands on her hips. "What, a girl can't just do The Robot?"

He gave a lopsided grin. "Mercedes, I'm about to get down on one knee and propose to you. Don't freak out; just say yes."

She smacked his arm lightly. "Shut up. This is Junior Prom. Everybody's acting like a fool."

Sam glanced at Santana who was pretending to spank Karofsky. Oh. Well at least they were having fun together. "Yeah, I guess this is the place for it."

"What's the matter with you? Stop it! You're ruining everything!"

They both turned at the sound of Quinn's angry voice. Mercedes groaned when she saw Finn plant his hands on Jesse's chest and give the older boy a particularly hard shove that sent him stumbling back into Rachel. "Never mind. Now people are really gonna act like fools." She gasped in surprise as Finn threw a punch that almost clipped Jesse's nose.

Coach Sylvester appeared out of nowhere and inserted herself in between the two boys. "Prom is over for you, Sugar Ray!" She yelled with a finger pointing in Finn's face. She wheeled around to glare at Jesse. "You too, Marvelous Marvin! You're out!" The coach gripped their suit jackets firmly and began hauling them out of the gym.

Quinn took a step forward, shaking her head in disbelief. "Wait! He and I are nominated for Prom…!"

"Sucks for you, sister!"

Quinn turned slowly to face Rachel and, after a moment of looking into the other girl's eyes, left the gym in the same direction as the boys. Rachel just watched her go, speechless.

Mercedes frowned and said, more to herself than to Sam, "Feels like they're always going to be fighting for that boy. I just don't get it."

He watched Quinn wrench open one of the double doors and disappear into the brightly lit hallway. "Maybe to them…there's something about Finn that's worth fighting for. Something we can't see but they can."

The contemplative way that he spoke drew her eyes up to his face. "Sounds like you're talking from experience there, Sammy."

Sam chuckled at her use of his younger siblings' nickname for him. Showed just how much time she was spending around his family. He turned to face her once more as Brittany took the stage to sing Ke$ha's _Tik Tok_, this time hopefully without projectile vomiting. "Yeah, I think I know a little something about seeing how incredible and beautiful someone else is. Even when they or other people don't see it."

Her cheeks grew warm at the caring way he was looking at her. Slowly raising a hand to straighten the single white flower pinned to his jacket, Mercedes admitted, "Another thing I just don't understand is how any girl could let go of a guy as wonderful as you are. You know how to make someone feel really special. And I _know_ I keep thanking you every time you say something nice but really...thank you."

Sam pulled her in for a quick hug. When they drew back from each other, his hands still rested on either side of her waist. "One day, Mercedes Jones, I'm gonna convince you of how special you are. And then you'll see that any guy would be crazy _not_ to want a girl as wonderful as you."

She tilted her head and started to speak. Grinning, Sam spun her around and led her into another dance before Mercedes could say a single word.


	15. A Cruel Joke

**Author's Note: **I probably don't need to tell you how happy I am that Sam Evans will once again be a student at McKinley. The news was super unexpected and completely made my day. Heck, my _week_ has been made. Hope you enjoy this chapter! Please review!

The students of McKinley High were uncharacteristically silent as Principal Figgins took to the stage clutching two thin white envelopes. He tapped the microphone twice as though to get their already-gotten attention. "Will the candidates for King and Queen gather on the stage? The votes are in."

Hilary Iverson, the previous year's Queen, led the way; she held a velvet red pillow in front of her that had on it the crowns that the Prom King and Queen would wear. Sam raised an eyebrow at the impossibly tall crown on her head and leaned over to whisper in Mercedes's ear, "This all just seems unnecessary."

She rolled her eyes and whispered back, "Don't knock the tradition, boy. Some girls dream of being a queen and wearing pretty crowns."

He looked up at the stage, at the expectant and hopeful faces of the five girls running for Prom Queen. Figgins said something about the moment everyone had been waiting for and Lauren turned her head slightly toward Quinn, smiling supportively at the other girl. Quinn didn't even look her way; her gaze was fixed on Figgins as if she could will him to say her name. Santana looked like she was faking all the confidence in the world with her smug smile. Something told him that she wanted it for a reason other than the fact that she'd always dreamed of wearing a crown. With a shrug, he turned back to Mercedes. "I guess some girls _dream_ about being a queen and some girls just _are_."

Oh now he was just too good to be true. Mercedes shook her head and chuckled, making an attempt to pay some kind of attention to what Figgins was announcing on stage. He slid a card part of the way out of the first envelope and said, "This year's Junior Prom King _is_…" There was a pause where a drum roll should have been. Figgins held up the envelope and put on his best excited face. "David Karofsky!"

All of the glee club members collectively stiffened as everyone else applauded. Karofsky stepped forward to be crowned. Mercedes looked over her shoulder and found Kurt standing with Blaine nearby. The boy's face was frozen. She could understand why. Nothing Karofsky could say or do for the sake of making Kurt feel more comfortable at McKinley could ever erase anyone's memory of how cruel he was to Kurt. To all of them. And now he was basically being awarded for it.

She glanced up at Sam. His eyes were narrowed, staring at Santana as the girl clapped harder and louder than anyone else. She was going to be crowned Queen now. She was going to get what she wanted, what she had tossed Sam away for. Mercedes bit her lower lip and reached for his hand. Without looking and without the slightest hint of hesitation, Sam intertwined his fingers with hers.

Figgins waited for the cheering to die down a little bit before again turning to talk into the microphone. "And now, the 2011 McKinley High Prom _Queen_…" He opened the second envelope and held up the result card to his face. "…With an overwhelming number of write-in votes is…"

Mercedes frowned in confusion. She looked up at Sam and his eyes were asking the same question that hers were. Write-in votes?

Figgins stared at the name on the card for a moment and then looked out at the crowd of students almost stoically. When he spoke, his voice was flat and monotone. "Kurt Hummel."

Mercedes and Sam followed the spotlight with their eyes as it immediately moved to shine on Kurt. Mercedes's heart felt like it had painfully dropped to her stomach when she saw the look of horror on the boy's face. She sighed. "Oh Kurt…" Some stupid jerk clapped and whooped from the back of the gym. Sam gave her hand a squeeze. It was all just a prank. Someone had actually thought that this would be funny. Who in the world could think that _this_ would be funny?

Another jock whistled his approval at the outcome and Kurt blinked twice at the sudden noise in the otherwise silent room. The sound of one person clapping was enough to send him abruptly running out of the gym. Blaine quickly ran after him. "Kurt! Stop! Kurt!"

The double doors slammed behind the two of them. Mercedes took a deep breath and spun on her heel to head to the back of the gym. She'd show whoever thought this was funny just how funny it was. She was halted by Sam pulling her back. He turned her around toward him. "Mercedes. Don't."

She was fuming. "Didn't you just see what they did? Didn't you just _see_ that? Did you see his face?" Her head turned to the back once more and she raised her voice above the murmur of the crowd. "Who did that? Who the_ hell_ did that?"

Sam shook his head and glanced at Mike who had walked over to stand by them. He and Tina looked just as shocked at what had happened. "They're jerks. They don't deserve a reaction. That's the only reason why they did it in the first place. To show that they could."

Tina crossed her arms and leaned into Mike's chest. "Kurt didn't deserve _that_."

Sam shook his head again. "No." He glanced over his shoulder at the group of jocks congratulating each other by Coach Sylvester's punch bowl. "No...nobody does."

From her place on the other side of Sam, Rachel reached around him to touch Mercedes's arm. "You should get backstage and start getting ready to sing. You and Santana are singing for the King and Queen's first dance."

Sam's eyebrows furrowed. "What makes you think Karofsky and Kurt are going to dance together?"

Mike nodded, wrapping his arm tighter around Tina. "What makes you think Kurt's even going to come back _for_ a first dance?"

Mercedes raised her eyes from the spot she had been glaring at on the floor. "Oh he'll come back in. I know Kurt and he's a hell of a lot stronger than any of those douchebags give him credit for. I'll see you guys after the song. I have to find Santana." She suddenly remembered Sam's hand in her own and released his slowly; giving him a small smile before walking in the direction that Santana must have gone.


	16. A Different Side of Lima Heights

**Author's Note: **It just seemed odd to me how chummy Santana and Mercedes were while they sang Dancing Queen and how happy Santana was. This is just a filler chapter of how I would explain why Santana's spirits were suddenly lifted after "losing" Prom Queen to Kurt.

Brittany and Santana were just leaving the music room as Mercedes passed by. She stopped short, frowning at the sight of Santana dabbing her eyes with a tissue. "Is everything okay?"

Santana gave a short nod at Brittany, and Brittany hugged her quickly before heading toward the gymnasium. Her eyes followed the other girl remorsefully but when she turned back to Mercedes, they were filled with the usual helping of disdain. "Wheezy, what do you want? Shouldn't you be doing your job as Kurt's Sassy Black Friend right about now?"

Mercedes chose to ignore both that special nickname and the disappointment that filled her at the fact that she wasn't the one consoling Kurt. Blaine had that job now. No, not as his Sassy Black Friend but as that one person he depended on and went to for comfort and support. It used to be her.

She watched Santana blink away the remaining tears that she refused to let fall. "I _came_ to remind you that we're singing for the King and Queen's dance. But _now_ I'm asking you if everything is okay. Is everything okay?" she repeated.

Santana shrugged. "Oh everything's just incredible, Jones. This could quite possibly be the best night of my life. Everything worked out exactly like I wanted it to. Well except for the fact that _nothing_ worked out like I wanted it to. I didn't get Prom Queen and I didn't get…" She rolled her eyes and started walking away. "Never mind. Let's go."

"You were about to say Brittany right then, weren't you?" Santana paused mid-step. Mercedes walked to stand in front of her. "What exactly made you think that this whole Prom thing would work? What did you think, if Brittany saw how well-liked you are, she would want to be with you?"

The Latina girl stepped forward until their noses were touching. "Okay you know what? I get it. I'm not liked. I can't get what I want. I'll never be happy. Are you gonna rub that in my face or can we go in there and sing this damn song?"

Mercedes didn't back down or take a step away. "God didn't put me on this earth to preach at you, Santana, and He certainly didn't put me here to lie to you and tell you that everything you do is great, right, and won't have consequences. I think you're figuring that out for yourself. All I'm gonna say is… before anyone else can like you, you've got to like yourself." She felt a strange pang in her stomach as the words left her mouth. That sounded exactly like something Sam would say. Oh goodness, the boy was rubbing off on her.

Santana didn't respond. Her eyes were getting misty and her hands were busy balling up the tissue she held into a tiny wad. Mercedes took a chance, reaching out to touch her arm. "You're so used to using people that you don't really see how you're using yourself. We can all see that you're more than a beautiful, sexy girl from Lima Heights Adjacent; you're not fooling anybody, girl. C'mon, you've got to know that you're better than all this scheming. Besides, Brittany obviously cares about you _without_ all that mess."

Santana closed her eyes tightly. "…Do you think so?"

"I know so. Whether it's in the way that you'd like or not, the fact is that she loves you. All of you." Mercedes gave her arm a playful shake. "Even the most manipulative, diabolical parts."

When Santana opened her eyes, some of her spark had returned. For a moment, she just looked at Mercedes's face intently as though gauging her sincerity. Finally, she cocked her head to the side. "You know, you and Sam just might be made for each other. That was so ooey gooey sweet, I feel like I might have a cavity. Oh and by the way…" She smirked. "Say anything about me and Brittany to anyone and I _will_ end you, Wheezy."

Mercedes laughed and gave the other girl a gentle shove in the direction of the Junior Prom. "I won't say a word."


	17. The Start of Something Incredible

**Author's Note:** I think this might be the last chapter. Please review and give me ideas for other fanfics you want to see written about Mercedes Jones!

"I hope you didn't mind that I danced with Rachel while you and Santana sang. You two sounded amazing together by the way. Like always." Sam leaned back in his chair contentedly. After one last song from Quinn and Tina, the gymnasium began to clear out as some students made their way home and others headed toward the Prom After Party that was going to be held at Puck's house.

Mercedes looked up from raising her glass of punch to her lips. One of her eyebrows rose. "Thanks. But why would I mind? Rachel was your date too. And Jesse left. Who else was she supposed to dance with?"

"Yeah…um, Mercedes, I've got to tell you something. I never…"

"Hey, you two!" Mike plunked himself into the seat beside Mercedes. Tina stood behind him, resting her hands on the chair's back and smiling lovingly down at him. "Are you heading out soon? The party's probably already starting."

Sam shrugged and turned to Mercedes. "What do you think? Wanna go?"

Tina glanced around with a frown. "Wasn't Rachel over here a minute ago? Where'd she go?"

Mercedes picked up her glass again, tapping it absently to her shoulder in thought. "Oh she called her dads to come get her. You know…I think I'm gonna call it a night." Sam frowned and she added reassuringly, "It was fun. I had a great time. But I'm just a little tired. And I'm pretty sure my parents would appreciate if I were home by one. It's already 12:30."

Mike and Tina nodded their understanding. "Do you need a ride?" He asked while standing. "I don't mind dropping you off on the way to the party. Where do you live?"

Mercedes shook her head with a grateful smile. "No, it's okay. I think I'll walk. It's not too chilly out and my house is the opposite direction of Puck's."

"I'll walk with you," Sam offered quickly.

Tina clutched her purse to her chest, looking from one to the other. "Are you two sure? It's no trouble. Honest."

Mercedes glanced at Sam. "We're sure. Don't worry about it. Sam will make sure I get home safe and sound."

"Alright then." Mike grasped Tina's hand and raised his other in a wave. "We'll see you guys on Monday then. Text us when you get where you're going safely. Oh and Mercedes, don't drink that. I saw Puck spike the punch bowl right before he left." Mercedes peered in her glass suspiciously, groaned, and rolled her eyes.

Sam checked the time on his cellphone, leaning forward into the corner of the table. "We can get going now if you want."

"Sounds good." She grabbed her purse and wrap. All four of them made their way out of McKinley High. Sam and Mercedes yelled their goodbyes at Mike and Tina as the couple drove away.

After a few minutes of walking in a companionable silence, Mercedes nudged Sam with her elbow. "Now what was it that you were saying earlier? You never…?"

Sam flushed. "Oh…well, I just wanted to say…I never…" He cleared his throat and plowed on through; his words came out in a rush as he raised his eyes to the night sky. "I never wanted to go to Prom with Rachel. She asked me a couple weeks ago and I said no to her because she's not my type. I said yes to the group date because_ you_ were in it. Because if there was gonna be any girl who I would…" He finally looked down at her again, blinking when he didn't see her by his side.

Mercedes had stopped walking a while ago and stood stock-still on the sidewalk. She couldn't hide the look of absolute shock on her face. Sam slowly went to her. After a moment, he waved a hand back and forth in front of her face. No response. She just blinked up at him. Sam bit his lower lip, slightly embarrassed. "Okay. I understand. For you it was just a group date."

Finally, Mercedes moved. Both of her hands rose to tighten her wrap around her shoulders as if the night chill had just started affecting her. "Sam, it _was_ just a group date." Her eyes clouded and she shrugged. "You made me feel special. Tonight was everything I dreamed it would be and more. But I'm not gonna let that trick me into thinking that suddenly I'm _that_ girl."

He caught her arm as she raised a foot to continue on her way home. "Hold on. What girl?"

She refused to turn back toward him and meet his eyes, but Sam could see that tears were coming by the way she sniffled before answering. "The girl that people actually notice. The girl who gets the perfect guy." Another shrug. "That's never been me. You'd really do better to find someone else who fits that mold."

Sam took her by the shoulders and made her look at him. "You give a lot of advice, Mercedes. Do you ever use any of it?" She stiffened; he shook his head. "Obviously not. Well, let me remind you of something you once told someone else. You weren't born this way. Remember when you said that to Santana? Sure, you're a diva. Everyone knows you're a powerhouse, vocally and otherwise. But that doesn't mean you have to be lonely. Or that you just don't need anybody. 'Cause you do."

"What are you trying to say, Sam?" The strength that was usually behind Mercedes's words was back. She hastily swiped at the corners of her eyes with a finger and met his gaze head-on.

"This wasn't a one-night-only thing, at least not for me. I told you before that a guy would be crazy not to want you and I meant it."

Mercedes raised a hand and waved it toward him. "I can't even…"

Once again, he stopped her; his hand caught hers just before she turned and held onto it tightly. "Consider it."

Her eyebrows furrowed deeply and then rose. "And what exactly am I considering?"

Sam reached out with his other hand to grab her other one. "Consider making this more than one awesome, fun night. It's not one-sided, you know. I may make you feel special but you make _me_ feel…" He paused for a bit and then smiled. "Gosh, Mercedes, you make me feel like I don't have to change to be something I'm not. You did the Robot with me for heaven's sake! You think that's something Quinn or Santana would've done? Think they would have had anything to do with me once I broke out that sweet move?"

"That sweet…?" Mercedes chuckled and tilted her head to the side. "They probably would've left your butt on the dance floor."

"Exactly. Even more proof that you're incredible."

"Okay, okay, I get it. I'm incredible; you're incredible. So…?"

Sam shrugged. "So we'll be incredible together." Dropping her right hand but still holding her left, he started again toward her home. Mercedes slowly grinned and allowed him to gently pull her to his side.

**Thank you for reading!**


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